Listen To The Truth
by Sweet-Bella
Summary: What if Angel hadn't gone to Sunnydale after 'Sanctuary? Buffy stops by the Hyperion. Non BA. CG.


**Summary:** What if Angel didn't go to Sunnydale to apologize?

**Author's Notes:** This is my first try in writing something about 'Sanctuary'. I hate it passionately, it made me cry so much… It made me hate Buffy so much. So, have a little payback, Buffy-bitch!

Oh, and this is not a rewrite to the episode. It may be rewrite to 'The Yoko Factor', but doesn't fit my rewriting series, so it's apart from it. My first try on anything other than B/A, so, help me God, I hope it's okay.

**Timeline:** Five years after 'Sanctuary'.

**Spoilers:** Mostly to 'Sanctuary', but there are slight to 'Bad Girls'.

**Listen To The Truth.**

The senior Slayer stood anxiously in front of the dusty building. It stood proud and impressive on the street, and she looked around. No sign of Angel's friends and partners.

She sighed and walked in the building. Sitting behind a counter, Cordelia seemed busy doing something Buffy knew it was very important to her.

The brunette was filing her nails.

**"Hi"**, the blonde greeted quietly. Cordelia looked up with a bright smile that faded quickly as she recognized the woman standing in the middle of the hall.

**"Buffy"**, she said coldly. **"What do you want?"**

Buffy frowned slightly at Cordelia's attitude, but shook it off.

**"Where's Angel?"** She asked. Cordelia looked down.

**"… Out"**, she muttered.

**"What?"** Buffy widened her eyes.

**"Get out"**, Cordelia growled in a way that would have made Angelus proud. **"Just leave and don't come back, okay?"**

**"Cordelia, what the hell is wrong with you?"** Buffy yelled. Cordelia got up.

**"I'll tell you what's wrong with me!"** She took a deep breath, and her hand massaged a place on her – Buffy widened her eyes – large belly. **"Never mind. What do you want?"**

**"I came to apologize to Angel"**, Buffy decided to play clean from the beginning.

**"What for?"**

**"For the fight over Faith"**, the blonde said timidly. Cordelia let out a disbelieving laugh.

**"I can't believe in this"**, she shook her head. **"Carrying a baby made me go idiot and slight deaf"** She looked at Buffy hard. **"You came to apologize for something that happened…"** She made some mental accounts. **"… Five years ago?"**

Buffy nodded miserably.

**"It's a little too late, isn't it?"** Cordelia said. Before Buffy could reply, the door opened, pouring sunlight inside the hall. The two women looked around.

Angel walked in the Hyperion, and Buffy smiled. Cordelia watched the blonde closely, a smirk curving her lips. The vampire, oblivious for his former girlfriend's presence, held the door open.

**"Five, four, three, two…"** Cordelia said under her breath.

A very pregnant Faith walked in Angel's steps. Buffy widened her eyes, and her mouth hung open. Angel, still ignorant of Buffy's presence in his home, put his strong arm around Faith's enlarged waist, and they shared a happy, blissful smile.

**"One"**, Cordelia whispered. Buffy seemed to recover from her shock and yelled:

**"What the hell is going on?"**

Angel and Faith looked up; both shocked from seeing Buffy after such a long time. It had been five years since they had both last spoken to the blonde slayer. Unconsciously, they held each other's hand, and Faith snuggled closer to him.

**"B"**, she whispered, licking her lips.

**"Buffy"**, Angel said friendly. He smiled lovingly at Faith. **"Honey, why don't you go lie down? You just said your hips are hurting".**

**"Angel…"** Faith looked helplessly at him. He looked at her, silently communicating. After a moment, Faith nodded and, with a weary look at Buffy, padded to the stairs. The vampire turned to Cordelia.

**"You're not responsible for me"**, the brunette said before he could speak. **"And I'm not going anywhere until she's here. You're gonna yell at each other – or she'll yell at you – and then you'll brood. And I've had my fair share of your brooding".**

Angel smiled a little, shook his head and turned to face Buffy.

She looked… beautiful, as always. Her hair was a darker shade of blonde, her skin tanned and soft. Her eyes, however, gave away how much pain she had gone through.

**"Buffy"**, he said, **"It's a surprise. I've been told you were in Europe?"**

**"I was"**, she replied, her voice wavering. **"But… I don't know, I just felt I needed to see you, I guess"**, she looked around. **"It's a nice place you have here".**

**"Thank you. But most of it was decorated by Cordelia and Faith"**, he replied, a note of pride in his velvety voice. Buffy whipped around at Faith's name being mentioned.

**"About Faith…" **

**"She's my wife"**, Angel said answering the unspoken question. **"Have been for some years now"**, he added. Buffy gasped.

**"She's your what?" **

**"My wife"**, he replied lightly. **"And we're having our first child in a month or so"**, Angel pointed Cordelia with his head. **"And so are Cordy and Gunn, aren't you, Cordy?"**

Cordelia nodded. Buffy looked at Angel with pleading eyes.

**"Why, Angel?"** She whispered. The dark-haired man looked at his friend.

**"Can you please go upstairs check on Faith? I'm worried she'll feel insecure with Buffy here. Tell her I love her, okay?"**

Cordelia noticed he wanted to be left alone with the blonde and, with a look of protest, did as he said. Angel sat on a couch and mentioned to Buffy to sit across of him.

Buffy looked around and noticed the bright sun outside. She gasped.

**"You're human"**, the blonde spoke with rough voice. **"And…"**

**"And you thought that, after my shanshu, I'd run for you?"** He completed, with an eyebrow up. **"I recall a day you came here and told me that you had someone who you loved"**, he gulped a little, his eyes hardening. **"Someone you trusted".**

**"Angel, it was a lie!"** Buffy said desperately.

**"Perhaps"**, he shrugged. **"But it hurt the same. When I found out I was going to be human… I almost called you. But then I remembered you didn't love me anymore, so I shared the good news with my friends".**

**"Angel…"**

**"Police released Faith in parole a few months later, for good behavior. She had nowhere to go, and I didn't want her to go to Sunnydale"**, he glanced briefly at Buffy, **"because you were there. And you still didn't like her. And I could use a slayer around; Los Angeles is huge. So, she moved in with me. And, one day, when we weren't expecting… We were in love. We didn't plan it, it just happened".**

**"Just like that?"** Buffy whispered. **"One day you woke up and then realized you didn't love me anymore?"**

**"I love you, Buffy"**, he said gently. Her face lit up. **"But not in the same I used to. I love you… Like we love the first love. You made my life easier to go on with when I needed. And by meeting you I met Faith, and I'll be forever thankful for you because of that".**

**"Angel…"** She began. Angel silenced, expecting her to speak. "I love you. I still do".

He shook her head sadly.

**"I'm sorry, Buffy. I really am. I wish you had come a few years before… When you still made me tingle. But I love Faith now. I really do. We're having a child together; we built a life"**, he took her hand in his. **"I'll be glad if you don't be harsh with Faith. She's to blame less than I am. We can't fight heart, Buffy. You know that".**

The blonde looked at him with serene eyes.

**"Thank you, Angel"**, she said, finally understanding she had lost. **"Thank you for being sincere with me. And I'm sorry for that fight. I was acting irrationally, freaked out that Faith could kill you. But then you acted so cool, so collected over the whole matter, and it threw me that you didn't need me anymore for taking care of you. And I wanted you to hurt you as much as I did".**

**"I was hurting, Buffy"**, he said honestly. **"Having you near almost killed me. And then you said you never loved me, you never trusted me, and it broke me. You can ask Cordelia, ask even Faith. I brooded on them for more than a month".**

**"Can I… Can I go see Faith?"** She requested hesitantly. Cordelia appeared on the living room that same minute. She looked around, noticed Angel's cool composure and Buffy's sad air, and thanked the Powers, one more time, for giving her boss Faith.

**"Faith's asleep, Angel"**, she said, then looked at Buffy. **"Why don't you go stay with her for a moment, while I talk with Buffster?"**

Angel looked wearily between the two women. Cordelia exploded.

**"Go, man! I'm huger than a whale, and she's the slayer! There's nothing I can do that will harm her!"** She yelled. Angel smiled sheepishly, and then obeyed Cordelia. The brunette sat in the place he had been previously sitting. Buffy looked fearfully at her. **"I won't bitch-slap you, although you deserve it,Buffy. Relax".**

**"What do you want with me?"**

**"Look… Faith got fucking freaked when she saw you here"**, Cordelia began.

**"Needlessly. Angel loves her"**, she paused painfully. **"As much as it kills me, even I see that".**

**"Buffy, imagine that you're an eight-month-pregnant woman. The woman your husband loved deeply for years makes an unexpected visit, apparently very determined in getting him back. Wouldn't you freak?"** Cordelia reasoned. Buffy thought about it for a minute and then nodded slowly. **"Faith loves Angel, and was afraid he would leave her because you were back, wanting him".**

**"And I wanted him"**, the slayer finally let the tears fill her eyes. **"I love Angel, but I can't make him be with me when he doesn't want to. I'll let him be happy with Faith and their baby, even if it kills me".**

**"That's very mature of you"**, Cordelia said respectfully. Then, skillfully, she changed subject. **"Now, tell me – how's the gang?"**

* * *

The minute her husband walked in their bedroom, Faith opened her eyes. Angel was leaning against the doorframe, looking at her with awe inside his eyes.

**"You look so beautiful"**, he said lovingly. She smiled shyly.

**"Thank you, although you're a bad liar"**, she grinned and patted his place on their king-size bed. **"B is downstairs?" **Angel nodded. Faith licked her suddenly dry lips. **"Is she mad at me?"**

Her husband looked at her quizzically.

**"Why would she be mad at you, baby?"**

**"I touched her boyfriend"**, Faith said quietly. **"Hell, I married her boyfriend! I'm having his child!"**

**"Faith…"** Angel began. She didn't hear him, so he made her look at him. **"Faith, honey, please calm down. It won't be good neither for you nor for the baby".**

She finally calmed down, and looked at him with her brown eyes huge with tears. Angel kissed her lips softly.

**"Baby…"** The endearment escaped his lips easily. **"She's not mad at you. If anything, she should be mad at me. I was the one who cut all the strings".**

**"Don't say that"**, Faith scolded him quietly. **"Don't go broody on me. It's not healthy. Besides, brooding doesn't match with human Angel".**

He grinned and lied next to her.

**"I haven't been Buffy's boyfriend in more than six years"**, he said softly. **"I'm your husband now, for three years, Faith. I'm yours, period. Yes, I loved Buffy, and I always will"**, he noticed the flash of hurt in her eyes, **"but not in the same way I loved her before. I'll love and cherish our memories as a couple, and I'll be eternally grateful to her, because she gave me you".**

Faith smiled tearily.

**"That's the most beautiful thing someone has ever said to me".**

He grinned playfully.

**"Why, are you saying I don't say beautiful things to you, Mrs. O'Connell?"**

She smacked his shoulder.

**"No, Mr. O'Connell"**, she snuggled the best she could in his embrace. **"I'm so excited. Just think, only a few weeks before we greet our little baby".**

Angel caressed her belly.

**"We still haven't agreed on a name"**, he said. There was a slight knock on the door, and they both looked up to see Buffy standing in their door, Cordelia right behind her.

**"I… I… Sorry"**, she said as she slowly moved away. Faith glanced at Angel and he nodded imperceptibly.

**"B!"** Faith called. **"Hold on!"**

Cordelia smiled encouragingly. Buffy stopped and looked at her sister slayer.

**"What is it, Faith?"** The blonde said. Faith noticed the sadness inside the gray eyes, but brushed off the guilt.

**"I was wondering… Maybe we could talk?"**

Buffy looked wearily at her. Behind the brunette, Angel and Cordelia smiled a little, encouragingly, at both of them. They smiled tightly at them, and the two dark-haired friends left the two slayers alone. Faith walked back in the bedroom she shared with Angel, but Buffy hesitated. The brunette noticed it.

**"Come in, please"**, she hesitated a little. **"If you want to, we can talk at Angel's office".**

**"No"**, Buffy took a deep breath. **"You'll be more comfortable here. A woman in your state should rest every moment she can".**

**"B, it's okay…"**

**"No, Faith"**, she smiled sadly. **"It'll be weird, but I'll be fine".**

Faith looked unsure at her, but nodded anyway. The two women took a seat at Faith and Angel's bed, but before the blonde could say anything, the brunette groaned and rubbed her belly.

**"What's wrong?"** Buffy asked. Faith smiled calmly.

**"Nothing. Little One is just too hyped, aren't you?"** She spoke babyishly. Buffy looked at Faith's once-flat-flawless-abs, and then the brunette added, **"Go on. It won't bite".**

Buffy grinned ashamed and hesitantly touched Faith. Under her palm, she felt what was like bubbles moving round and round. She looked up at the brunette, and they shared a grin. It almost felt like old times, before Faith had spiraled down in darkness.

**"What's it?"** She asked. Faith ran her finger across the belly and answered softly:

**"Daddy's little girl, aren't you?"** She said. Buffy's smile wiped off.

**"A Slayer?"**

Faith shrugged.

**"Probably, but I highly doubt it"**.

**"How will you name her?"**

**"Angel and I don't agree on a name yet".**

**"Why don't you name her after his sister? I would, if I…"** She bit her lip. Faith smiled understandingly.

**"I know it's hard for you to see me married to the man you love, carrying his child, realizing your dream. But in the beginning it wasn't easy for us. Angel used to call for you in his dreams and I was left off to deal with my jealousy and my fear of losing him".**

Buffy sighed.

**"You'll never lose him, Faith"**, she replied sincerely. **"He loves you. Probably more than he loved me".**

**"Don't say that"**, Faith shot back. **"He loved you, Buffy, really he did. But… He was broken when we grew closer. He needed someone to be there for him… And you weren't. You did one of the things you're expert on".**

**"Open mouth, insert embarrassing body part"**, Buffy said, and Faith giggled. The blonde stared at her. Faith never giggled. She wasn't the giggling type.

**"You'll find your one true love, B"**, Faith said gently. **"Maybe it was Angel… Maybe it wasn't. Open your heart to it. Let yourself feel again, don't hide behind Angel".**

Buffy felt tears bubbling in her eyes.

**"I'm sorry, Faith".**

**"Don't be. We all make mistakes, especially when we are young. Look at Angel"**, she sighed. **"We both were young. You were trying to protect your boyfriend, and I was dealing with my own rejection issues. Maybe…"** She bit your lip. **"Maybe we could try again?"**

Buffy smiled over her tears.

**"We could".**

The two women looked at each other with tearful eyes, and shared a smile.

* * *

Few weeks later, Buffy, already back in London, opened her e-mail's inbox. There was an email from Faith and Angel. She smiled, never having pictured Angel emailing someone, and clicked on it. The message opened revealing a picture of Faith and Angel, looking at each other, with huge smiles on their faces. Between them, a tiny baby girl, dressed in pink, with thick dark brown locks, slept soundly.

Above the picture there was a text written in flourished pink letters.

_**Buffy,**_

_**Hope this find you, and find you well. We are so happy and proud to announce the calm birth of Angel Investigation's babies. Faith, slayer in charge, gave birth to a healthy little girl, with Angel's hair and nose. Aside that, she looks like her mother.**_

_**Cordelia and Gunn welcomed a baby boy. Answering to Gunn's prayers, the young man is a tiny image of his mother, and already dresses clothes of Baby Gap. His name is Charles Gabriel Gunn.**_

_**As for Angel and Faith's daughter, they finally have come into an agreement. They hope you let them name their 'princess', as Angel calls her, Elizabeth. Elizabeth Faith O'Connell, that's how they'll name her.**_

_**Both couples ask you – Cordelia demands, actually – to be their godmother.**_

_**Yours faithfully,**_

_**Wesley.**_

Buffy smiled. Of course she agreed on both requests. Being godmother was the close she could get to mothering Angel's child – not that she was angry at Faith, quite contrary; the two of them were good friends. As for the name, she was flattered they chose to pay her homage. Smiling again, she replied the email.

Sometimes, it was good to listen to some truths.

**THE END**

**AN:** Whew! _wipes sweat from forehead_ It was really hard to write this – more than a moment I was seriously tempted in turning this in a BA fluff. However, I had challenged myself that I couldn't write anything about a pair I'm not so in love with – and I suffocated my own ideas. Well, anyways, right here you have my first non-BA story.

God, please forgive me!


End file.
